DIGITAL
HOLOBIONTS
HOLOBIONTS
Project co-curators:
Harriet Mummery – Interdisciplinary Artist, Researcher, Designer, Curator
Lucia Paganini - Animator, Character Designer
Illustrators:
Bee Pham - Illustrator
Taryn Domingue - Illustrator
Ksenia Kopalova - Illustrator
Harriet Mummery – Interdisciplinary Artist, Researcher, Designer, Curator
Lucia Paganini - Animator, Character Designer
Illustrators:
Bee Pham - Illustrator
Taryn Domingue - Illustrator
Ksenia Kopalova - Illustrator
Cover image: Taryn Domingue
This time .RAW collaborated with two artists – Harriet Mummery and Lucia Paganini – who invited illustrators - Bee Pham, Taryn Domingue, and Ksenia Kopalova - to explore the idea of a ‘digital holobiont’ in a 3D scanning workshop held at the Arts University Bournemouth.
In biology, a holobiont is not a single organism, but rather a composite body, a collection of different species of organisms, including the host organism and various microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi that live within and on the host organism. These microorganisms are not just passive inhabitants but are actively involved. In this project, the illustrators were invited to portray a ‘digital holobiont’ – a conglomerate of organisms and objects coexisting both in physical space and online.
In biology, a holobiont is not a single organism, but rather a composite body, a collection of different species of organisms, including the host organism and various microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi that live within and on the host organism. These microorganisms are not just passive inhabitants but are actively involved. In this project, the illustrators were invited to portray a ‘digital holobiont’ – a conglomerate of organisms and objects coexisting both in physical space and online.
Illustrators were invited to engage with the fluidity of motion and the merging of object and organism, to explore the notion of a Digital Holobiont. By scanning objects, bodies, and organisms, they challenged the notion of stillness inherent in digital imaging, questioning how movement, article and body can be preserved and expressed within a digital form.
The resulting scans became fragments of shifting forms that were then collectively merged and manipulated to finalise as an illustrative reposnse. Whilst scanning, students and captures were encouraged to move quickly, slowly, erratically, intently, capture and disrupt the traditional forms and aim of perfection of digital capture.
This process highlighted the concept of the Digital Holobiont, where individual entities coexist and interconnect within a larger [digital] ecosystem. Through this collaborative and experimental approach, the works reveal illustrative responses and strategies that reflect on the porous boundaries between bodies, objects, and their digital counterparts.
The resulting scans became fragments of shifting forms that were then collectively merged and manipulated to finalise as an illustrative reposnse. Whilst scanning, students and captures were encouraged to move quickly, slowly, erratically, intently, capture and disrupt the traditional forms and aim of perfection of digital capture.
This process highlighted the concept of the Digital Holobiont, where individual entities coexist and interconnect within a larger [digital] ecosystem. Through this collaborative and experimental approach, the works reveal illustrative responses and strategies that reflect on the porous boundaries between bodies, objects, and their digital counterparts.
Harriet:
The question embedded into the model – 'What does it feel like to have a body?' – shows my doubt about owning a body, being unsure about the existence of it
Bee:
The 3D model is a combination of scans of myself, including my portrait and my body being merged into a corner of the room. Since holobiont is where a host (myself) lives alongside other organisms, forming an ecological unit which is how it portrays myself living in my room. My body is rooted into the room is when I am able to recharge myself and feel comfortable with my own
'habitat'.
The big portrait of mine asks if the body is even mine anymore, when both of my faces are not even attached to the figure. Everyday I go out to the world, living in a bigger world, and this is what is left by the end of the day. The question embedded into the model – 'What does it feel like to have a body?' – shows my doubt about owning a body, being unsure about the existence of it.
The 3D model is a combination of scans of myself, including my portrait and my body being merged into a corner of the room. Since holobiont is where a host (myself) lives alongside other organisms, forming an ecological unit which is how it portrays myself living in my room. My body is rooted into the room is when I am able to recharge myself and feel comfortable with my own
'habitat'.
The big portrait of mine asks if the body is even mine anymore, when both of my faces are not even attached to the figure. Everyday I go out to the world, living in a bigger world, and this is what is left by the end of the day. The question embedded into the model – 'What does it feel like to have a body?' – shows my doubt about owning a body, being unsure about the existence of it.
That's what all people truly are: a collection of experiences, memories and parts taken and shared among other people
Taryn:
This 3D model is a combination of various 3D scans I found on Polycam, collaged together and distorted. This collage of pieces and parts presents the holobiont, which in itself is a collection of organisms. I've then filled spaces with illustrations, small parts that someone would have to search for – to represent the parts of myself that are hidden in cracks and away from direct sight. The goal of this piece was to have so much to look at that it would feel overwhelming and a little uncanny. But viewed as one piece, it all comes together into a Frankenstein's monster because that's what all people truly are: a collection of experiences, memories and parts taken and shared among other people.
This 3D model is a combination of various 3D scans I found on Polycam, collaged together and distorted. This collage of pieces and parts presents the holobiont, which in itself is a collection of organisms. I've then filled spaces with illustrations, small parts that someone would have to search for – to represent the parts of myself that are hidden in cracks and away from direct sight. The goal of this piece was to have so much to look at that it would feel overwhelming and a little uncanny. But viewed as one piece, it all comes together into a Frankenstein's monster because that's what all people truly are: a collection of experiences, memories and parts taken and shared among other people.
I was interested in found digital objects and in this case I focused on the glitches in the museum virtual tours. This one is from the Pitt Rivers Museum.
I found it interesting that these weird digital objects are conglomerates of shapes and textures that are derived from physical reality, but exist as miscalculated dream-like impressions of it.
Pitt Rivers, just as the neighbouring Museum of Natural History in Oxford, is notable for the approach to labelling the exhibits. I thought it might be interesting to play with the idea of labelling, speculative biology, fictional taxonomies, and conventions of scientific illustration as applied to a digital object.
What if a digital mistake was treated as separate species? And what if digital mistakes coexist as composite creatures?
I found it interesting that these weird digital objects are conglomerates of shapes and textures that are derived from physical reality, but exist as miscalculated dream-like impressions of it.
Pitt Rivers, just as the neighbouring Museum of Natural History in Oxford, is notable for the approach to labelling the exhibits. I thought it might be interesting to play with the idea of labelling, speculative biology, fictional taxonomies, and conventions of scientific illustration as applied to a digital object.
What if a digital mistake was treated as separate species? And what if digital mistakes coexist as composite creatures?
Ksenia: